Presidents Cup: Team USA Won't Be Taking A Knee
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While Darius Rucker is belting out the anthem--because of course he is--during Thursday's first tee ceremony, Team USA and the International squad will be preparing for day one's five foursomes matches.
USA Captain Steve Stricker was asked a few different ways about the recent protests and displays of unity at sporting events and says it was discussed by the team.
Q. And Steve, not that it's likely to happen, but what would your thoughts be if one of your players wanted to stage a silent protest during the National Anthem?
STEVE STRICKER: Say that again?
Q. What would your thoughts be if one of your players wanted to follow the NFL players and stage a silent protest during the National Anthem?
STEVE STRICKER: We've had a discussion already and none of my players want to do that.
He was asked again later on:
Q. You said your team has discussed what to do with the National Anthem this week, and in other sports over the weekend, we've seen it become very contentious. Golfers, by the nature of what you're doing, don't have a National Anthem played at every event but this will be different. Can you elaborate on what the discussion was you had with your players?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I just wanted to know what they wanted to do and how we wanted to proceed as a team. So we were going to do what we always do and that's take off our hat and put our hands across our chest and over our heart and respect the flag. So that's what we're planning on doing.
Appearing on Morning Drive, Team USA assistant cart driver and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Davis Love assured all that there will be no displays of unity, protest or otherwise. Ryan Lavner reports.
“I think you’ll see in golf that there’s a little bit more restraint,” he said Tuesday on “Morning Drive”. “We adhere to our rulebook and to our core values and to our traditions, and I think that’s why our sport is so successful."
“There’s a time for us to protest, and it really isn’t during the national anthem. We ought to take a break during the prayer or during the national anthem to thank our country, to thank our forefathers who went before us. And then we can protest with our votes, with our letters to our congressmen or however we want.
“But I think President Trump is right. There is a time for protest, and it probably isn’t during the national anthem. Our country has fought hard for that right.”
The video:
